Zutara Week: 2011
by Gina Jade
Summary: Mask, History, Social Networking, Secret, Awkward, Legendary, Caught. Seven days of Zutara.
1. You Bear It

**Zutara Week. Day One. Mask.**

* * *

><p>She hadn't killed him.<p>

Zuko still couldn't get passed the events that had happened today. She had the weapons of ice sharpened like blades, heading toward Yon Rha at amazing speed. She executed a disciplined form of bending that the prince had never seen her use before. In itself, her whole being was poised to kill. A precision fit for an assassin.

But, while the blades had flown toward the coward's face, the firebender realized in that moment that maybe it was all a mistake.

The girl who he had helped track down her mother's killer was not Katara. It was a pseudonym. An icy mask that took hold of the real girl unexpectedly.

Just as he was about to move in to stop the massacre that was about to unfold, the shards stopped a hair from Yon Rha's face. Zuko looked back to her and was relieved to see reason cracking the mask that had molded to her features. The ice was bent back to water and Katara had ceased her control of the rain. He watched as the pathetic old man begged for his life and she hissed her words of hate and anguish at him.

"...But, as much as I hate you, I just can't do it."

She turned away, leaving the man to squabble at his knees. Zuko stared at Yon Rha, taking in his defeated form and turned to follow the last waterbender of the Southern Water Tribe back to Appa.

Now, the two teens were making the trip back to camp in complete silence. The dark sky was filtered with many clouds, some threatening to let go of the water they held in their grasp. Zuko looked down to where she was steering, letting himself feel some concern. She hadn't said a word since they left the old man.

Hey, um, Katara? Are you-"

Suddenly, Appa groaned and turned sharply to an island that came into sight. The prince was thrown into the side of the saddle harshly and he grabbed for the edge as the bison gained speed.

"Katara! Stop! What are you doing?" he screamed over the wind.

As the island came into view, Zuko saw the beach she was heading for and she pulled heavily on the reins, causing Appa to stop and land on the pearly white sand. Just as his six feet landed on the earth, she jumped to the ground and walked toward the water.  
>Bewildered, the firebender watched her sit at the shore. He shook his head as he sighed loudly and slid down the bison's tail, joining her by the water while he waited patiently as she stared out at the dark ocean.<p>

"…Have you ever thought about an alternate universe? Like there was a you that didn't have to go through all the things we have been going through since we were born?"

Zuko looked at her from the corner of his eye as he raised his brow. He shrugged. "It doesn't do anything to think of the what ifs. You just have to deal with the life you have now. You'll only be more miserable by imagining a different life and a different you. Trust me. Save that for the next life. "

Katara acknowledged his words by burying her chin farther into her knees. "There could be an alternate universe me still living in the South Pole. A me that never even experienced a war because Roku stopped Sozin in time before he died. Where I wasn't the last Southern waterbender, and my mother was alive…"

The Fire Prince turned his head to stare at her profile. "Well, yeah. That'd be nice. But, you probably wouldn't be as good as a master as you are now. You wouldn't know bloodbending,"-she flinched at the word-"wouldn't have traveled the world and met all the people you've met. You'd be stuck in ice for the rest of your life, not making a difference like you are now." He lifted his hand, igniting a flame to ward off the chill that made the girl shiver. "You were given this life because you are strong enough to bear it."

Katara looked at him and narrowed her eyes. "It doesn't matter. At least in a different version of my life, I'd have my mother." On the word "mother" her voice had tightened up as she fought back tears. "She would be there to congratulate me on perfecting a form in my bending and she'd give me advice about things that a mother just knows to tell her daughter and….and…" The waterbender's words died on her tongue as tears appeared in her blue eyes and a sob escaped her throat. Burying her face into her arms, her shoulders shook with every ragged breath she took.

The more the waterbender cried the more panicked Zuko became. The firebender was definitely not an expert in comforting the upset. Especially a girl.

Fortunaletly, he remembered a time when his uncle's words of advice weren't completely ignored. "Nephew. A young lady is like a delicate tea leaf. You need to nurture her and keep a close eye. If you tend to it properly, she will grow stronger with time."

Swallowing heavily, Zuko moved closer to the distressed girl and hesitantly put his hand on the middle of her back, slowly moving his hand in a warm circle. "There, there," he mumbled.

Suddenly, Katara moved and threw her arms around his neck and sobbed into his chest. The prince stiffened as she clutched at him. He was surprised beyond anything that _Katara_was holding onto him, looking for comfort he had no idea how to give. She had threatened him not too long ago that she would kill him for any slip and now...Where did they stand?

Soon enough, he relaxed to wrap his arms around her, one going across her shoulders and his other hand resting on her hair.

The two benders sat in the sand for a while as she cried her heart out into his chest. Absently, he moved her hair away from her wet face as he tried to warm her when rain started to fall on them.

Sooner than later, he sobs had quieted down to soft whimpers and the rain around them slowed to a sprinkle. Finally, Zuko was brought out of his thoughts by her moving and clearing her throat.

"Uh, Zuko? I'm okay," she said in a tired voice.

"Oh. Sorry." He left her go and after a moment, she looked up into his eyes and he could see that her cerulean ones were clear and bright.

"Good to see you're back," he said.

"What?"

He gave her a small smile and stood, offering his hand to her once he was on his feet. "Well…before it felt like you were a different person. Like you had an icy mask covering your face. It was pretty unnerving but, I could relate."

"What do you mean?" she asked as she gave him her hand. He helped her shakily stand up and they started to walk toward Appa.

"Well, I can relate because the same thing happened to me when I was chasing you guys. All I wanted was The Avatar and my honor back and I was blind to everything else. Luckily, you still had enough reason to stop yourself before you killed Yon Rha."  
>Katara nodded and looked at her enemy-turned-ally. Maybe even a friend. Silently, they helped one another get back on the bison and Zuko took the reins, getting back on course to their friends.<p>

"Hey, Zuko?"

"Yeah?"

"…Thanks."

Zuko looked back at her in surprise as she smiled before sitting back in the saddle.

"…You're welcome, Katara."

* * *

><p><strong>HAPPY ZUTARA WEEK, EVERYONE!<strong>

**I hope everyone enjoys my entries for this year. :3 This is the first time I am participating.**

**See you tomorrow for History! **

**Good luck to everyone out there participating!**

**For the record: Iroh's beautiful advice is the making of my lovely friend, IFeltHope44. She is a fellow Zutarian like myself. Check her out. You won't be disappointed. u/1721175/IFeltHope44**

**Review, please!**

**Oh, and check out some fan art being posted on dA. Some are amazing. ****Especially Windy-Asylum: gallery/8052711#/d41km4f**


	2. Your Duty To Protect

**Zutara Week. Day Two. History.**

* * *

><p>"Brave soldier boy...comes marching..."<p>

Fire Lord Zuko closed the door to Iroh's suite, inconspicuously wiping at his face as he did so. It was his cousin's birthday today. This was the only day of the year that his uncle chose fire whiskey over ginseng tea.

They all lost many people throughout their lives. He his mother, Ursa and Iroh his wife and son, Lu Ten.

So much loss got to you sometimes. Even if Zuko kept it inside, there were times when he would explode with fire and rage. Anger at himself for not being awake when his mother held him for the last time. Regret for not getting out of his studies fast enough to go see his cousin and uncle off when they left for the war. Sadness at having to see Iroh cry for his lost family. Disappointment for hurting his wife by almost partaking in her best friend's death. It went on and on.

But, there was nothing he could do but bear it. He hefted his past onto his shoulders, living with his and his family's mistakes every day of his life. Sighing heavily, the twenty-three year old made his way through the corridors of the palace to go find his wife.

The Fire Lord entered the nursery to find the Fire Lady holding their son as she looked out the window. She turned when he opened the door and she looked at him with worry in her cerulean eyes.

"How is he?" Katara asked.

"What do you think?" he sighed as he sat in a chair. "I wish he didn't have to suffer like this."

Katara got up from her seat to walk over to him, the child cooing happily. "I know...I wish there was something I could do to help him," she said while bouncing her three month old in her arms. He gave a delighted squeal at his mother's attention and Katara smiled, nuzzling him. She looked up at her husband, noticing his tired face and the dark circles under his eyes. The waterbender moved closer, offering their child to him. "Zuko…hold your son."

The Fire Lord looked up at the boy who stared at him with pure innocence in his eyes. His son, the new Crown Prince. Zuko nodded and she moved to lay the boy in his father's warm embrace.

He looked down at Takero, moving his hand so he'd support the baby's head with his palm. As Zuko got more comfortable for him, Takero got comfortable in his father's arms, trying to capture more of his inner fire's warmth. Katara looked lovingly at her two boys and put a hand on her husband's cheek, capturing his attention and a smile from him.

"He loves you, Zuko. No matter how much you doubt it, we've created something so beautiful and pure. Takero could never not love you," Katara said softly. After a silent moment, Takero laughed joyfully, his golden eyes brightening, causing Zuko to smile down at him and hold him closer.

Zuko looked into her eyes, desperation in his golden ones at her words. What if he was a horrible father, just like his own? What if his son hated him? What would he do?

Katara smiled reassuringly and gave a slight shake of her head. "I would never let him not love you."

The Fire Lord nodded slowly and swallowed heavily, looking away. "...I've done many things that I could never forgive myself for in the past. Many things that I would never want Takero to know about," Zuko said sadly. "Everyone knows my family history from the past decades is disgraceful. And Takero will have to learn about it. To learn about my shame." The Fire Lord looked up at his wife, his amber eyes flashing with determination. "But I promise, I will protect you and our children from whatever could be thrown at us. I will protect you from the fate my uncle has been thrown into and I will make sure something like that would never happen to us," he vowed.

Katara stared at him with sad aqua eyes, a small smile on her lips. She reached out and caressed his marred cheek, moving her thumb in small circles under his damaged eye. She went to speak but his next words stopped her from voicing her reassurance.

"And I promise you, from the bottom of my soul, that history will never repeat itself."

The Fire Lady nodded as tears came to her eyes. Bending at the waist, Katara took Takero out of Zuko's arms and then sat in her husband's lap. He wrapped his arms around her and they sat quietly as a small family, a sad history behind them as their child cooed and smiled at his parents.

Their child that they knew could keep history in the right place once they were gone.

* * *

><p><strong>Yay, for Day 2! I really like History. It's a little sad but heart warming at the same time.<strong>

**This is mostly for my beautiful friend, IFeltHope44 because she adores Takero. (:**

**Review, please.**


	3. An Irrational Romance

**Zutara Week. Day Three. Social Networking.**

* * *

><p>"Absolutely not."<p>

"Aw, why?"

"Are you serious, Ty Lee? You know I refuse to be set up. Meaning, I'm not going on some stupid blind date."

"But, he's gorgeous! He's the heir to his dad's empire in law (well, he used to be the heir until his dad disowned him but, that's not the point!) and he's a fantastic lawyer from what I've heard. Women are always fawning over him and he is blind to it all! It's surprising that he isn't using his sexiness to his advantage. But, he's really sweet! Why don't you give him a shot, Tara?"

Katara rolled her eyes at her friend's words. Ty Lee was completely ridiculous in every sense of the word. She adjusted the cell phone that she had trapped in between her cheek and shoulder as she grabbed the carton of her favorite ice cream and a spoon before she walked back to the couch. "Ty Lee. I don't do blind dates. And besides, I don't date stuffy lawyers or doctors or anything involving a cocky bastard. They're all the same and I don't feel like listening to someone gloat about something or other that happened in the court room."

"Please, sweetheart? Just give this guy a chance! He isn't like the rest of the lawyers you've met. He's adorable and smart and I think you'd really like him." Ty Lee pleaded.

"I don't do blind dates, Ty Lee. And why should I?"

She huffed at her stubborn friend as she moved through the Ashtanga positions on her yoga mat. She teetered, balancing on her hands until she shot her legs back out and finished her set. Bouncing up from the mat, she reached for her water and phone as she turned off the speakerphone and continued to plead with the Southern girl. "At least just go for one date. Please?"

"No, Ty Lee. I'm not interested. I gotta go. Sokka wants to start the movie."

The contortionist let out a little whine and pouted at her pink phone. "Fine. I'll talk to you later."

"See ya," Katara said. She pressed end and threw her cell on the cushion next to her, opening up her fudge chocolate ice cream and digging in.

"What was that about?" her brother asked. The two siblings shared an apartment together and it was their traditional "hang out time" that they had every Saturday. No boyfriends/girlfriends or other friends allowed as they sat and watched a movie and devoured junk food.

"Ty Lee was trying to set me up on a blind date with one of her friends. A lawyer. Hell no to that."

Sokka rolled his eyes and grabbed for his bag of beef jerky. "I don't understand why you go on dates while you're dating Aang. I'm fine with my Suki."

Katara shrugged. "I don't want to be in a serious relationship until I'm ready to be in one. And besides, the guys I've dated say I'm more desirable when I'm dating other guys. Last week, I was supposed to go skiing with Haru in the late afternoon and he came when I was trying to get the date I had that morning out the door. Needless to say, it was awkward but rewarding. "

Sokka looked at his sister, disbelievingly. "Dear God, my sister's a player. How many proposals have you had already?"

Katara treated herself to some gummy bears, popping them into her mouth. "Three," she said nonchalantly.

"…Hm. Glad you've said no." Sokka grabbed the controller and pressed play while stuffing jerky into his mouth.

0o0o0o0

Two weeks later, the twenty-five year old sleepily made it into her apartment after a day of work at the hospital. Newborns were cute but they had a set of lungs that set her teeth on edge. One or two babies crying was okay to handle but, five or ten at the same time made her want to slam her head into her keyboard.

Throwing her purse on the floor, the girl jumped into her bed as she lazily started taking her scrubs off when her phone started to ring demandingly,

"M'coming," she mumbled. Discarding her shirt from her head, she grabbed her purse, digging around till she found the blue device.

"Hello?"

"Hello, is this Miss...Katara Aysu?"

"Yes, this is she. How can I help you?" Getting of her bed, Katara shimmied out of her pants, searching for her pajamas.

"This is Zuko Huojin. I'm returning your phone call-"

"What phone call? I've never even heard of you or called you in my life." She cocked her eyebrow.

He cleared his throat while she pulled her shorts on. "Uh, well, do you know Ty Lee? She's a friend of mine."

Katara froze as she was pulling her hair into a ponytail. I'm going to kill her, she thought.

"Yes, she's a friend of mine also. She gave you my number apparentally. I specifically told her not to but, here we are," she sighed.

"Oh...well, she kind of set us up for a blind date. I wanted to know when you'd like to meet. I'm in town for a week until I have to go back to work."

The Southerner was quiet for a moment. She could either turn him down and never hear from him again or she could go out for one date and then never hear from him after that. She let out a quiet breath, chewing her lip. "Okay. What day is good for you?"

"How about Wednesday? I have some business to take care of tomorrow but then I'm free then."

"Alright," Katara said while grabbing her brush and shirt.

"Great, so we can go to dinner-"

"I don't do dinner. Lunch is fine."

"Okay...that's fine. So...I'll pick you up at two?"

"Sure. See you then."

"Yeah. Goodbye."

Pressing end, she tossed her phone over her shoulder and sighed. She was going on a blind date. Tomorrow, she was made sure to remember to castrate Ty Lee but right now, she needed to get out of the death trap called a bra and get some sleep.

o0o0o0o0

"How was it, sweetheart?" Ty Lee squealed from her couch. She jumped up, grabbing Katara's hand and making her sit. "Spill!"

Katara rolled her eyes as she settled in for interragation. "He was two hours late picking me up and his car smelled like an ash tray. He's really shy too. Other than that, it went well. We went to eat and then sat in the grass at the park. We talked until he took me home."

Clapping her hands together excitedly, the contortionist grabbed for Katara's hand and squeezed it slightly. "Did you kiss him?" she chirped.

"No."

"Aw! He looks like a great kisser!"

"Whatever. Anway, we're going on another date on Saturday," Katara said with measured nonchalance. She winced as Ty Lee squealed delightfully and hugged her, telling her she knew she would go for it and that she was an amazing match maker.

"How come you didn't tell me he had a scar? It would have been nice to have a warning so I wouldn't make him feel bad." Her voice was muffled from her friend smooshing her cheek into hers.

"Oh! Well...he doesn't like to talk about it and...it's a sensitive subject. You understand, right?"

Katara nodded.

Surprisingly, she couldn't wait for Saturday.

o0o0o0o0

After her third date with Zuko, Katara broke up with Aang, her boyfriend of 8 months.

0o0o0o0o

"I'm moving."

Katara looked up in surprise. "...Where?" she asked.

"Seattle. I was offered a job there. It has better pay than where I'm working now," Zuko explained.

"Oh..."

They were in his car, enjoying the city lights that blazed in front of them while they were parked on a hill. He turned to her and sighed. "You do realize that we probably won't stay in contact, right?"

She bit her lip, nodding sadly while fiddling with her thumbs.

They sat in silence for a while after his confession. Zuko's spoke suddenly, bringing her out of her thoughts.

"Marry me?"

Lifting her head, Katara stared at him with wide, blue eyes. "W-what?" she stuttered.

"I know it seems sudden and we've only known each other for a short time but, I don't want to lose you. You've got this fire that's one of a kind. You make me laugh and keep me guessing about every little thing you do. You're amazing and...I love that about you. I...think I love you."

She stared at him, shocked beyond words. After a moment of looking deep into his eyes, she made a decision.

"...Yes. I'll marry you," she whispered.

His face broke out into a grin. "Really?" he asked disbelievingly.

She nodded, smiling happily as he leaned forward and captured her lips with his own.

"Sorry I didn't have a ring," he mumbled happily into her mouth.

0o0o0o0o

Three weeks later, Katara stood at the alter, holding Zuko's hands in her own as she whispered the words she knew from the bottom of her heart were true.

"I do."

* * *

><p><strong>Aren't you guys proud of me? *wants to sleep forever* I thought I wouldn't finish but, I did.<strong>

**This is actually my parent's story. Of course, some things have been changed. They met and got married in two months and they're still together after 25 years.**

**Enjoy.**

**Please, review.**


	4. Hide No More

Giggling could be heard faintly from behind the young lord's thick chamber doors but no one stayed long enough to hear it. The servants would be scurrying to finish their jobs before the sun touched the horizon. Young guards would either be chasing the pretty servant girls to sneak a kiss in the shadows or dutifully guarding many passageways that held value to their great Fire Lord. During the day, just before the sun was getting ready to set, everyone was busy.

That's what Zuko was shooting for.

Like love sick teenagers, she would climb up the vines that convenientally curled around his balcony, snaking down to stop before they could reach the green grass below. With her bending, she would manipulate the water in the vines to bring her to his door. He stood in his usual spot by his wooden desk, casually leaning against the wall until she snuck in and met him at the couch.

Once a week, the two benders took their chances to indulge in the forbidden to be in one's company. Whether it be about anything or nothing, Katara would chat away as he laughed at her or Zuko would make impromtu jokes that surprised her every time. She never knew he had such a hearty sense of humor.

Right around the time of the moon rising to her highest point in the sky, Katara would dash into his bedroom as servants came in to set up the succulant sweets in his main chambers. Fruits and chocolates filled the small table and if anyone asked, the Fire Lord did love his sweets and desired them every night. Katara often groaned that she would have to work ten times harder at her workouts to shed the sugary food off of her body. Of course, she ate them anyway.

By the middle of the night, the two teenage benders' eyes would start to droop and he'd grab her up into his arms to take her to his bed. First, he'd lock his door and then lay her in the swarm of silk red sheets. Second, he'd climb in after her as she blindly try to find his warmth and lips. Then, at last he'd give her a goodnight kiss and she'd settle into his embrace as they both drifted into dreams.

The sun gleamed right above the horizon as Zuko smiled down at his love. During the night, she probably had gotten overheated and discarded her tunic and pants, only to be left in her underclothes. He traced a finger lightly down her nose and chuckled as she scrunched it up. Mumbling incoherently, Katara rolled over to her stomach, facing away from him and the Fire Lord's lips curved upwards at the sight. Slowly, he got out of bed so he wouldn't rouse her and made his way to his balcony doors. Rays of light shot through the sky and different colors were spread across the land that the Fire Lord called home.

He smiled softly, looking her way as he heard Katara talk in her sleep and enjoyed the view of the sun shining on her mocha skin.

She was his secret. He was hers.

Yet he wanted her shown to the world.

He wanted her hand. Wanted her to be ripe with his child. All he wanted was for everyone to know how he was beginning to realize that he loved her.

And her to finally call the Fire Nation her home.

* * *

><p>I'm back!<p>

I deeply apologize for the horrible lateness of my Zutara Week drabbles. This story had been sitting in my phone for months on end and I finally sat down and finished it today.

I hope you enjoy this and Awkward will be right around the corner.

-Gina


	5. Ill Met By Bath Time

The entire courtyard of the Western Air Temple was covered in mud: the cracked tiles, the solomonic columns, and the weathered fountain, as well as a tuckered out Aang and Toph. They sat contentedly in the mess, Aang juggling mud balls that splattered in midair while Toph criticized his footwork.

"You can't be dancing around when you earthbend," she stressed, roughly pushing Aang over when he ignored her. "See? You have to be solid."

Off on another level of the Temple, safe from the trashed remains of the practice battle, Katara sat with a dented pot over a small fire, waiting for the water to boil. She stared into the steam, her thoughts clouding in synchronicity with her vision. There were too many things to do and not enough time to do it, and that troubled her.

Her lengthy list of chores included all of the mundane tasks that a simple housewife was expected to do. Cook dinner, clean the dishes, force everyone to gather their dirty laundry then actually wash it all and hang it to dry, gather fresh fruit for the next day, and still have enough time to spar with Zuko and get at least four hours of much-needed sleep.

She felt her cheeks grow warm as she realized that she didn't really need to train with Zuko; it was an indulgence, that hour where it was just him and her and a lot of exposed skin.

As she waited for the water, she mechanically got up and treaded down a flight of stairs to the muddy mayhem that her friends had created in their mock fight. "Clean up, would you? Dinner will be ready soon. I'm just waiting for Sokka to get back."

"Sokka _is_ back!" the aforementioned Water Tribe boy announced, striding down the stairs with a toothy grin on his face, his boomerang in one hand, and a hogtied animal slung across his back. When Katara turned around from disdainfully picking flecks of dirt off of a pillar, she was met with a flattened, distorted, and bloody head of a dead animal.

The waterbender screamed and stumbled backwards, the mud gulping at her shoes and throwing her wildly off balance. She slid through the muck as she tried to get away from the carcass with lifeless eyes and snapped neck that her brother had shoved in her face. Sokka laughed and threw the skin back over his shoulder. "Caught a boarcupine!" he chirped, chuckling to himself. "So when's dinner?"

Katara gaped at him, tugging dripping hair from her face and trying to wipe her hands on her already-soiled dress. "Make it yourself!" she grumbled, carefully standing and regaining her footing. Gentler, she said to Aang, "Could you help Suki finish dinner? I'm going to clean up."

With another glare at Sokka, she stormed off through a side corridor, slipping once in the slick mud but catching herself before she fell again. She tracked the gritty goop across the floors and spattered it on the walls with every twitch of her head. Quite obscenities coursed though her mouth as she stomped down toward the baths.

On the way there, Haru was gifted the untimely misfortune of crossing her path. "Katara?" he asked, concern lacing through the syllables of her name. "What happened?" He reached out to touch her arm, but she irritably flinched away. She muttered a cryptic answer and pushed past him.

She stormed into the bath house, letting the mild humidity of the room engulf her. Sighing in relief, she enjoyed the way the steam found its way into her pores as she discarded her muddy tunic and started working on her pants.

Suddenly, her hands froze at the waistband of her pants as she processed something that was out of place. Why was there steam?

Frantically, she ticked off the names of her friends in her head, trying to locate the ones that could possibly be in the baths. The original gang was in the courtyard, Haru was heading in that direction, and Teo and The Duke were out flying or something. That only left…

Katara stiffened as she heard water splashing at the last tub. Looking up, the eyes of the distressed and partly undressed waterbender met Zuko's naked backside. She gasped softly as he stepped out of the bath and went to collect his towel.

She couldn't move an inch of her body. It was like she was held there by someone's hand, gravity down pouring on her shoulders and adhering her to the floor, forcing her to watch as the firebender shook out his damp hair and dried his taut body. He didn't turn around but instead tied the towel around his waist. Katara didn't quite know if she was relieved or disappointed.

Then he turned toward her, sighting her through the steam. His eyes widened, mirroring hers, as he stared at her. The waterbender fiddled with her pants, biting her lips as she did so. "Um…" She cleared her throat. "I didn't know you were…um…"

"How long have you been standing there?" Zuko asked quietly.

Katara swallowed heavily, chancing a look into his golden eyes. She opened her mouth, whispering hastily, "I have to go." With that, she gathered up her tunic, turned toward the door, and ran. A bath could wait. She didn't need one right then.

...

The Western Air Temple at night was uncomfortable to Katara. Not scary. She refused to be scared. But the shadows that scaled the walls as she walked towards the baths and the eerie sounds that came from no where were unnerving, to say the least. She quickened her pace and kept her eyes trained to the floor.

Dinner that evening had been awkward in every sense of the word. Katara took up her usual task of serving the food, and when it was Zuko's turn to collect his share, she never made eye contact. Instead, she mumbled a quick "here" and had shoved the bowl into his hands. He quietly thanked her while she had tried to hide the furious blush on her face.

Now, feeling utterly disgusting and thoroughly creeped out, she wound her way to the bath house in just her bindings to make up for the time she hadn't gotten earlier. Once she was out of the hallway and in the cavernous room, a flood of serenity tingled in her fingertips and toes. It was the water that she could feel beneath her, gurgling in pumps to be used for baths.

That exquisite sensation was soon trampled, however, as she saw a lanky, shirtless figure sitting on the edge of one of the stone tubs, feet submerged in the water. Inwardly, she groaned and outwardly glared at him.

"Leave," she grumbled. "Just…I don't want to talk about it."

"What's done is done. No hard feelings, okay?"

She huffed and felt the inevitable sting of tears on the bridge of her nose. "Yeah," she muttered, blinking away the burn behind her eyes. Zuko didn't seem too pleased with her unconvincing answer and crossed his arms across his chest.

"Get in," he said, nodding at the water. She stared at him, appalled, her mouth agape. His entire face flushed several different shades of red, but he caught his mistake before she could explode on him. "I-I mean, not like _that_."

The dirtiest expression he could have ever imagined crossed her face then. "It's already warm," he tried. Frankly, she was too tired, too aggravated, and too exasperated to put up much of a fight. And she was in desperate need of that bath now. Katara dramatically blew at her hair loopies as she reluctantly walked toward the tub.

She refused to look at him as she awkwardly stepped into the warm water. The drastic change of temperatures caused goose-duck flesh to sprout on her skin as her back came in contact with the edge of the tub.

Several seconds of uncomfortable silence settled between them. "…Can—can I help you with your hair?" The waterbender arched her eyebrow before she hesitantly nodded her head. It would have been hard enough to manage her hair without help, and if he was offering, she would take it.

His warm, soothing hands found her mocha hair, slowly trying to comb through the tangles. After tugging at her roots once, he stopped as she flinched. Withdrawing from her tresses, he grabbed the bucket that had been left next to the tub. "Close your eyes. Please."

"Why?" she asked.

"To, um, to get your hair wet."

She was about to tell him that she could waterbend the water onto her head, or even just submerge into the bath, but instead, her blue eyes disappeared behind her lids.

"Are they closed?" Zuko questioned.

Katara made a noise in the affirmative, and he filled the bucket, then let the collected water cascade down over her head. Setting the bucket down, his hands went back into her hair.

She let the feeling of the warm points of pressure against her head consume her. It had been so long since she got pampered, all of the months ago at the Fancy Lady Day Spa in Ba Sing Se. As much as she hated to admit it, she could have stayed there all night.

"Why do you know how to do this?" she asked quietly, tilting her head so his fingers reached different spots.

"My mother taught me. She used to tell me that every man should be able to give a massage. I thought it was stupid, and now that I think about it, she probably had this kind of thing in mind."

"Well…thanks." After a second, she added, "Um…you can go," hugging her arms around herself. Zuko looked as if he wanted to say something else, but he squared his jaw and swung his legs over the side of the tub.

"As you wish," he conceded with what he hoped came off as ambivalence. "Goodnight." Before sauntering away, he dipped his hand back into the bath to reheat it. Once his footsteps were mere echoes in the room, Katara shimmied out of her wraps.

Smoldering, golden eyes glimpsed soft, bare curves in the scant light as she settled further down. Silently, he closed the door behind him. They were even, he supposed, for now.

* * *

><p>I have finally published this!<p>

This is a collab fic between IFeltHope44 and myself. We are both responsible for the making of this fic. If you review this one, please, go to her account and review hers as well. Even if it is the exact same review. Thank you and enjoy!

I will try my hardest to get the last two out as quickly as possible.

-Gina


End file.
